Trump administration ‘must be changed’: Iran’s IRGC appeals to US voters

What Happened

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) released an open letter on Tuesday addressed to the honorable people of the United States of America, urging Americans to wake up and change the US government under President Donald Trump. The letter, issued five weeks before the US midterm elections and one day after the US-Israel war against Iran reached its seven-month mark, accuses the Trump administration of misleading Americans about the war, Iran's nuclear programme, and control of the Strait of Hormuz. IRGC spokesperson Hossein Mohebbi told reporters on Tuesday that Trump is an inveterate liar and said Americans are unaware of the harms of the administration's campaign. The White House had not responded to Al Jazeera's request for comment by publication time. The IRGC letter claims Iran is victorious in the war, stating that the United States and Israel expended thousands of bombs and missiles but failed to meet declared objectives, damaging only several buildings tied to Iran's nuclear industry and a limited number of air-defense sites. It distinguishes the US government from the American people and says both nations are victims of corrupt politicians. Mohebbi also rejected US assertions that Iran has lost leverage over the Strait of Hormuz, saying that occasional US transit does not mean the Strait is open. Oil exports through the strait averaged about 13.2 million barrels per day over the past week, about 77 percent of pre-war levels, according to Kpler.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

This direct IRGC appeal to US voters is an Iranian influence operation aimed at exploiting the US midterm elections and undermining domestic support for the Trump administration's war. It lays out Iran's core public narratives on the nuclear programme, the Strait of Hormuz, and the war's stalemate, while also signalling Tehran's interest in diplomacy through separate mediator talks. The letter and Mohebbi's comments are likely intended to frame US public opinion and pressure political debate as oil flows through Hormuz remain below pre-war levels.

Watch For

Monitor the US midterm election on November 3, as Trump has suggested a possible deal right after the election; watch for any White House or State Department response to the IRGC letter; track renewed US-Iran mediated talks after Monday's separate meetings; watch Kpler or other trade analytics data on Strait of Hormuz oil export volumes; and watch for further IRGC or Iranian state media messaging targeting US audiences, particularly around nuclear and Hormuz claims.